California Coast
Amazing American success story today with a webinar presentation from Tribute wine. This is a California-based, family owned and operated winery.
The adventure began in the early 1980s when Bruno Benziger, a former Marine, moved his family from White Plains, New York to California.
Tribute Wine: Chris Benziger
Chris Benziger, who led the webinar today, was still in high school at the time. Their father charged him and his five brothers with constructing the winery and creating the vineyards.
Ditch digging, trellising, and construction were all in a days’ work.
Today the family owns some of the best California vineyards for Pinot Noir, Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, and Cabernet Sauvignon.
Tribute Wine: Early Days
During the presentation, Chris had some fun stories about the early days.
In retelling his stories, it’s clear the family were “pioneers.” They didn’t have many of the tools for making and selling wine, so they had to improvise. The way Chris tells it, it’s a story like the 1960s TV show, The Beverly Hillbillies… but in reverse.
At one moment during the presentation, Chris revealed that as a child he had to clean out a tank designed for transporting milk so it could carry their Sauvignon Blanc.
Tribute Wines Today
Today the family offers four key varieties made with quality grapes at an excellent price point.
Sauvignon Blanc 2019
Well balanced with floral notes, this wine is a great accompaniment to seafood, salads, and other lighter dishes.
Morning fog in the vineyard keeps the acidity racy and sharp. The Lockwood Shady Loam adds to the crisp mineral character.
Chardonnay 2019
Buttery with a whiff of delicious French oak, this is a superb wine to pair with chicken and seafood.
It is sourced in the Monterey AVA from two key vineyards: McCoy Vineyard and San Lucas Vineyard.
The wine is barrel fermented in both French and American oak and aged for eight months
Pinot Noir 2019
This is an elegant, fruit-forward Pinot with an enchanting aroma of blue and black fruit.
It is sourced from the McCoy and San Lucas Vineyards in the Monterey AVA. Fog shields the wine from harsh sun and helps it keep its refreshing acidity.
Cabernet Sauvignon 2018
The bold flavors of this wine include cassis, blackberry, black cherry, and ripe plum. The grapes grow in Certified Sustainable vineyards in three key California growing regions: San Benito County, Paso Robles, and Monterey’s San Lucas Vineyard.
Overview
Most consumers simply look at a label on a supermarket shelf, check the price, and put it on the cart.
The amazing thing about the Tribute webinar is that one has an “insider’s view” into the family behind the winery.
A brilliant story, with fantastic tasting wines to reinforce the hard won fruit of their labor.
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